NEW DELHI: Eminent scientist and Bharat Ratna recipient Mr.CNR Rao was awarded the Japan’s highest civilian award for promoting mutual understanding in Science and Technology between the two countries of India and Japan. Mr.Takeshi Yagi, the ambassador of Japan for India has presented the prestigious award of the ‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’ before the senior officials of the Science and Technology department.

After bestowed with the honor, Mr.Rao said, ” Japan and India are interlinked together. India has to know that Japan is the greatest strength in the whole of Asia and Japan has to realize that India is its greatest friends”. Mr.Rao added, “The Asia’s future depends upon these two countries working together.”

” I feel honored with the award Japan has bestowed on me. I admired Japan from my Childhood and has grown up seeing the country develop after the second world war”, Mr.Rao added.

‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’ , the highest Civilian award of Japan is conferred on politicians, academicians and military officers, the Times of India reports.

Mr.Rao has been honored with about 70 honorary doctorates in the past and also the honorary president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific research Bangalore. Mr.Rao is the only Indian to be elected as a foreign member in the Japan academy. Mr.Rao has published over 1000 research papers and is credited for shaping technological institutes in India such as IIT Kanpur.